Publishing Design - Task 1
Publishing Design
Week 1-5
Chan Meiling// 0337771// BDCM
Task 1
LECTURES
Publishing Design: Formats (1)
Format constitutes:
- Type of binding
- Paper
- Size
Possible influencing factors example:
- Size of the person interacting with the book (for example a child, the age group, types of cover, size of the book should also be considered
- Content
- Size of a book to accommodate all the content (for example pictures, diagrams, charts etc)
"Whenever there's a new technology, there's a possible for innovation."
"Creation, Invention and Innovation shadow the creation of new technology"
It's important to keep abreast of new technology and you'll find yourself creating something new.
Breaking with centuries of tradition, the terms "BC" and "AD" are to be replaced with a system known as the Common Era
In this lecture, Mr Vinod about the Historical formats around the world for record-keeping.
Publishing Design: History of Print (2)
0 year and after is CE, 0 year and before is BCE
The first printed book
- From China(Tsang Dynasty)
- World's first printed illustration
- 16 feet long, a foot high)
Movable type
- A necessary step before printing
- Efficient medium for dissemination information
Type foundry in Korea
- Solve it by inventing their own alphabets
Gutenberg
- significant skills with metal
- precedes the basic work of printing
The world's largest book
- Stands upright, set in stone
- Mandalay Hill, Myanmar
Publishing Design: Typo Redux (3)
Characters in typeface:
To view them go to text/ types go to glyphs to see the variation of typeface
Ligature
- creates a smoother transition or connection between characters by connecting crossbars, removing dots over the i, or otherwise altering the shape of the characters.
- generally done for headlines (if for body text you can also use the auto ligates to detect and convert)
"It's a designer's responsibility to ensure the legibility of the context."
Legibility
a) Open and well-proportioned typefaces are prefered
b) Special style
- Typesetting (Formatting text)
- Underlines: should be lowered so that it does not touch the characters
- Small caps and all caps:
d) Outline and shadow
e) Font size (Best size for book between 8-12pt)
g) Italics: Italicising should never occur for the whole paragraph! (To emphasize)
h) Alignment:
- Flushed left, ragging must ALWAYS be smooth(not justified)
- Justified text is a NO NO
g) Paragraph space: While doing on Indesign, pilcrow button use space after/ space below CREATE A VALUE (Don't press enter twice!)
h) Paragraph indent: should only be used when using justified text
i) Hyphens
j) Drop-text (not so suitable for modern context, depends)
l) Sidebar ( the leading must be the same as the one you use in your body text!)
Publishing Design: The Grid (4)
Publishing Design: Elements (5)
Publication consist of 3 major elements: Type, Colour, Image (Format and grid holds them together)
Important to make sure these elements are predictable by creating variation, yet maintaining consistency.
"The elements in you book fall into place when you begin to varied formulas possible within the grid system created."
It is important to look at the layout references to have a better direction to begin the process of designing.
INSTRUCTIONS
EXERCISES
Week 1
Mock-up making
In this exercise, we were required to prepare:
- A4 (16 sheets) / A3 (8 sheets) Paper *
- Large rubber band/thread with needle
- Adhesive Tape (masking, sellotape, scotch)
- Steel Ruler (16" if you have)
- Cutter
- Pencil
We were then tape two pieces of A4 paper together and explore different book sizes (smaller than A4, larger than A5).
The sizes that I have explored are:
- 160mm x 250mm
- 190mm x 240mm
- 200mm x 218mm
Book sizes exploration
Final cut-out sheet
Final book mock-up (front)
Final book mock-up (outer)
Final book mock-up (inner)
Final book mock-up (thread binding)
Flatlay
Flatlay
Book mock up video
Week 2
Signature folding systems (8+8=16)
Signature is the folded groups of pages that emerge from the folding machine, they consist of 16 pages (8 pages on each side).
In this exercise, we learned about how signature folds work. We were told to watch the recorded tutorial and do the exercises.
Signature fold (Close)
Signature fold (Open)
Signature fold (Pages)
Signature fold (Unfolded back)
Signature fold (Unfolded front)
Week 3
Van De Graaf - Canon The Van De Graaf canon is a historical reconstruction of a method that they have been used in book design to divide a page into pleasing proportions. It is also known as the 'secret canon' used in many medieval manuscripts, etc.
Van de Graaf on paper
Van de Graaf on InDesign (Jpg)
Van de Graaf on InDesign with guidelines (PDF)
We were then instructed to flow the text within the margin spaces. I've decided to use 9pt for my text and 11pt for my line spicing.
Van de Graaf on InDesign with text & guidelines(PDF)
Van de Graaf on InDesign with text (PDF)
Week 4
Determining Grids
In this exercise , we are required to choose a few spread of book layout and try to identify and determine the grid system that were used.
Identifying grid system
Identifying grid system without image
Moving on next, we were instructed to create 3 margin spaces and choose one of them to add rows and columns creating our own grid systems.
Determining margin
Adding rows and columns
Flowing text in with guidelines
Flowing text in without guidelines
Week 4
Form & Movement Exercises
First attempt thumbnail
First attempt GIF
Second attempt thumbnail
Second attempt GIF
Third attempt thumbnail
Third attempt GIF
Week 5
Final attempt thumbnail
Final attempt GIF
Attempt with colour thumbnail
Attempt colour GIF
Attempt with images and text thumbnail
Attempt with images and text GIF
FEEDBACK
Week 2
Good job, proceed with other exercises.
Week 4
Need to find more connections between the flow of the spreads.
Week 5
Need to be a relation in the flow.
Peer feedback for final attempt:
-The connection between the spread can be seen
-The relationship can be seen between the spreads, but there seemed to be a from a jump from 5th to 6th spread
REFLECTIONS
Experience
While doing all these exercises in class, I find the pace in class quite fast and was having a little trouble to catch up, especially for the form and movement exercises. I couldn't really connect the relations between one spread to another and I was struggling to see a relationship between some of the examples shown as well. For my final attempt, I decided too ask some of my classmates feedback.
Observation
In the determining grid exercise, I was amused while observing that most of the layout design actually follow different grid systems when we were trying identify the grid system of the designers have used for different book layout.
Findings
I realized that there are so many thoughts and aspects that needs to be considered while designing a layout, not only considering the readability, tension, balance between the space and content (text, images etc.) but also designing a flow of spread which is unpredictable by creating variation. This was something that I didn't get to notice while seeing book layouts before this. I then only found out that some of the storybooks that I had as a kid also has really interesting and unpredictable layout which makes them interesting, not only the visuals itself.
FURTHER READING
This blog article explains about the grid system, history and some tips for using a grid. The most interesting part that I found in this article is that it talks about how the constrains in grid system actually help designers to have a cleared direction to start, and it stated that these constraints are extremely valuable and beneficial.
"Rather than restricting our creativity, constraints give us a starting point and invest the freedom to explore possible solutions. The value of creative constraints is why the best designers always insist on working from a robust design brief, which defines the project’s requirements. "
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